sheraton vistana update

[SammieG]

personally we prefer the sea world one to the Vistana resort..
in fact the staff were SO rude on our visit there etc that we will never go back..

we didnt like the units at Vistana either (we were in the oldest part of the resort)- but I do appreciate the newer ones are nicer.

I liked HGV at Sea World. Friendly staff. Not as close to Disney.. but it is only another 5 mins or so...
Now, HGV at Tuscany is just OUT OF THIS WORLD!! whooooo!! If you ever get a chance to go there.. JUMP!!!!

We also like the units at the Embassy Vacation at Grand Beach - 3 bedroom.. Very sweet resort. Not many ameineties but right opposite Vistana. Would go there ANY day over Vistana and much cheaper for a 3 bed 3 bath villa.

 

[tony64]

Hi Mia
We've brought Vistana Fountains
and have it on Points so if we carry over one week and book 2 the next year through RCI do you think we would have to move villas for the 2nd week???

PS thank you so much for all your help in finding the write deal

 

[MiaSRN62]

Hi Mia
We've brought Vistana Fountains and have it on Points so if we carry over one week and book 2 the next year through RCI do you think we would have to move villas for the 2nd week???

Hi Tony !
I feel much better that you got into the Fountains vs the Falls. Specifically, the Fountains Two are a little nicer than even the first phase, but you can be the judge when you get there.
As for moving......oh boy......it's a toss up. When you make your ressie, specifically request not to have to move. RCI has the right to assign any section on the resort (not necessarily where you own). This happened to us in '97. We carried over a year and banked it with RCI. We needed 2 villas because we were bringing down family members. They assigned our banked week to the Springs section. I was not happy. I called and asked for management and requested that we wanted to be closer together. We ended up getting side-by-side villas in the Fountains. But from experience, I do know that RCI isn't required to place you where you own. Make sure you request it from both Vistana and RCI. They will say it's not guarenteed, but they will do the best they can. Hope this helps.
Congrats on your purchase ! Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the Fountains. May you have many happy vacations there

 

[erinch]

When we were there for 2 weeks 2 years ago, we're odd ducks that prefer Springs--as the "newest" of the older sections. We like it because the floor plan is bigger, the master bath is massive, and the landscaping is so mature and lovely.

When we checked in, despite my faxed, phoned and repeated requests, they had us in 2 sections, and we were going to have to move.

I was doing my check-in through Diamond Lane (the ONLY way to check in at Vistana which makes it a pleasant experience) and the young woman competently manipulated the computer and got us 2 weeks in the same unit. At check-out time after the first week, the keys did de-activate, and the cleaning we were supposed to get got hopelesslly delayed--so much that managment sent a massive gift basket.

But -- I was kind, friendly and persistent, and it paid off. Also checking in mid-afternoon, after many units had emptied, but before they'd all been picked off again--around 2 pm, which is an optimal time for diamond lane checkin.

 

[bajanswife]

We are thinking of requesting an RCI points exchange into Vistana - can we use Diamond Lane checkin? And how does it work? I've never done a points exchange (I'll be using parents' points) - what is the easiest way to do it so that we can request particular sections, and to have 2 whole weeks without moving? Is there a way to do it online, or do we have to call (when my parents request exchanges they usually call, and they've never had specific requests for location etc.).

I'm thinking ahead to a future trip we're planning, but my parents don't want to deal with this yet (too many other things going on), which is why I'm trying to learn this RCI stuff on my own! Also, I suspect they haven't really researched all the tricks to the whole exchange process, so maybe I will be able to teach them something!

 

[MiaSRN62]

we're odd ducks that prefer Springs--as the "newest" of the older sections. We like it because the floor plan is bigger, the master bath is massive, and the landscaping is so mature and lovely.

Hi Erinch,
The Springs is a total of 1280 sq feet......same as Palms, Spas and the newer Fountains One. True, the newer sections are smaller. The Lakes is 1230 sq ft and the Fountains Two is 1211. The newest Cascades is even smaller than any of these but I don't have exact footage for those. I did tour them in '99 and it was noticeably "tighter" in the living room/dining area. And I agree about the maturity of trees and vegetation with the older sections. The Lakes and especially the Cascades that is noticeable as they are the newer sections and have alot of newly planted or immature growth.

Coco,
Here's the link to the Diamond Lane : https://www.svosecure.com/starwoodvo/diamond.jsp?resortID=5
But I would also make any requests known with the main reservation number.
Make your Diamond Lane requests at least 3 days prior to check-in. Once you get to the resort, you can stand in the "Diamond Lane" to check-in. You will see it is usually roped off to the side of the regular line.

 

[bajanswife]

Thank you Maria!